Nursery Handbook For Parents of Nursery-Age Children and Volunteers Effective January 1, 2015

Welcome to the nursery ministry at Sovereign Grace Presbyterian Church! The nursery ministry at Sovereign Grace Presbyterian Church (SGPC) strives to provide a safe, nurturing environment for the children of visitors and members. Our desire is to share the love of Jesus with the children in our care while ministering to both their physical and spiritual needs. At SGPC, we are a church family, and it is a joy and a privilege to come alongside parents in raising their covenant children. This booklet is designed to provide an overview of our nursery policies and procedures. Please read the following information carefully and let us know if you have any questions. We welcome comments and suggestions that would be helpful to our ministry. In His Service, Jenni Henderson Director of Children’s Ministry Sovereign Grace Presbyterian Church [email protected] 704-553-9600

Parent Information

Nursery Parent Information Our Nurseries Children of all ages are welcome in all of our worship services. We also have three nurseries open on Sunday mornings for children ages birth through 3 years:  Infant Nursery (Room 128): *birth until crawling  Toddler Nursery (Room 124): *crawling until age 2  2’s & 3’s Nursery (Room 122): *age 2 until 4th Birthday The infant nursery has cribs, swings, bouncy seats, rocking chairs, infant toys/activity mat as well as a changing table. The infant nursery is stocked with extra diapers and wipes, crib linens and burp cloths. Also available in the infant nursery is a private area for nursing moms. Only women are assigned to work in the infant nursery.

The toddler nursery has a crib, rocking chairs, changing table (with extra diapers and wipes) and high chairs for feeding as well as age appropriate toys and books. The 2’s & 3’s nursery has a child-size table and chairs, age appropriate toys, books, puzzles and coloring supplies. A small fridge is located in this nursery with peanut-free cracker-type snacks. This nursery also has a child-friendly bathroom (extra pull-ups are available). On Sunday & Wednesday evenings the infant nursery is not staffed but is available for use by parents. The fenced-in playground may also be used on these evenings (weather permitting), and there is a double stroller for babies to use while outside. We also provide nursery care during the Thursday morning ladies’ Bible study.

Cry Room A cry room is available from where the sanctuary can be observed and heard. This room is located out the back right door of the sanctuary and is immediately to the left (Room 129).

General Information Please bring a bag which includes everything your child may need while in the nursery. Necessary items include (but are not limited to) diapers, wipes, and a change of clothing. If your child is potty training, please tell the nursery workers and provide them with specific instructions. Bottles, nut-free snacks, and sippy cups are welcome. Each nursery has a whiteboard for writing schedule, feeding or potty instructions. The 2’s & 3’s nursery is the only nursery where a snack is provided. The snack is nut-free, and water is available.

Wellness Policy It is our desire to provide a healthy atmosphere for both the children in our care as well as the caregivers. Please be considerate and adhere to the guidelines set forth by our church. Please do not bring your child to the nursery if any of the following symptoms have been observed in the previous 24 hours:       

Fever Vomiting Diarrhea Unexplained rash Green or yellow nasal discharge Eye infection Known exposure to a bacterial or viral illness  Children with bacterial illnesses are considered contagious until the prescribed antibiotic has been administered for no less than 48 hours.

Nursery Staff The nursery staff of SGPC is comprised of volunteers from our congregation as well as paid workers. Volunteers are members of SGPC who are considered to be in good standing by the Session and who have been through an application process which includes a background check and training. Paid workers are hired either through a reputable childcare service or individually by the church. In addition, youth who are active in our church and above the age of 11 are able to volunteer as assistants to the adults in our nursery with the permission of their parent(s) and/or the approval of our Session.

Nursery Security In an effort to ensure the security of children placed in the care of our nursery, we utilize a check-in and check-out procedure. Each child is provided with a nametag when checked into the nursery, which is to be worn on the child’s back. The nametag includes the child’s name and an assigned number. The parent is given a keychain with the matching number and signs their child in on the provided sign-in sheet. The parent must return the keychain in order to check their child out of the nursery. All nursery volunteers have undergone background checks and specific training to work with children. At SGPC we strive to uphold a two-adult rule for working with our children. Additionally, an employee or officer of the church makes routine rounds to monitor the nurseries through a window. All volunteers are required to wear a SGPC nametag while serving which indicates that he/she has been approved to work with children in our nurseries.

Nursery Paging System Silent pagers are available in the toddler nursery for parents who would like to take one. Please be sure to write your child’s name and pager number on the sign-in sheet. In the event that a parent needs to be reached, the pager will light up and buzz softly until returned into the charging station in the toddler room. Please go directly to the nursery that your child is in and then secondly, return the pager to the charging station in the toddler nursery (or a volunteer can return it for you). Please be sure to return the pager to the charging station before leaving SGPC.

Nursery Cleaning The nursery rooms are cleaned once a week by a professional cleaning service. Additionally, nursery volunteers provide the following upkeep to ensure a clean and sanitary environment:  The diaper changing tables are cleaned with disinfectant after each use.  All used toys, baby gear and high chairs are cleaned with disinfectant at the end of each use.  Diaper bins and trash cans are emptied at least daily.  Crib linens are replaced after each individual use.  Used linens and cloths are removed and washed.

Volunteer Information

Nursery Volunteer Information General Information Please arrive promptly for your scheduled service. Please do not work in the nursery if you are sick or have had symptoms within the past 24 hours. If possible, notify the designated nursery captain of an unplanned absence. If you need to switch your date of service, please attempt to find a nursery volunteer to switch with, and then notify both nursery captains as soon as possible. Please remember that if you do need to switch with someone, only women (this includes the adult floater) are assigned to the infant nursery to accommodate nursing mothers. All volunteers are required to wear a SGPC nametag while serving which indicates that you have been approved to work with children in our nurseries. Your nametag is kept in a drawer outside of the 2’s & 3’s nursery.

At SGPC we strive to uphold a two-adult rule for working with our children. Additionally, an employee or officer of the church makes routine rounds to monitor the nurseries through a window. Follow all directions provided by the parents. A whiteboard is available in all three nurseries for parents to share specific information. Snacks are available in the 2’s & 3’s nursery (inside the refrigerator). Please remember that this is a snack and limit the amount. Cups for water are also available. Please seal the unused food in the refrigerator. Notify the nursery captain of any broken toys or supply needs.

Nursery Check-In/Check-Out  Place the child’s preprinted nametag on his/her back. The nametag includes an assigned number.  Please give the parent a keychain with the matching number and have the parent sign the child in on the provided sign-in sheet.  When the parent returns, confirm that the keychain number matches the child’s.  Additional blank nametags and keychains are available for visitors.

Contacting Parents If it becomes necessary to contact a parent, please page them using the paging system located in the toddler nursery. If you are not in the toddler nursery, send one volunteer to page the parent. If the parent did not check out a pager, please send one volunteer to locate a parent.

Potty Training/Bathroom Policy If a child is potty training, please place a preprinted sticker on his/her back to remind volunteers to assist him/her in the bathroom.  Follow instructions provided by the child’s parents.  Only one child is allowed in the bathroom at a time.  Only women should assist girls in the bathroom.  Remind children to wash their hands.

Changing Diapers  NEVER leave a baby unattended on the changing table.  Use gloves provided.  Place disposable baby changing pad under baby.  Clean/change baby.  Remove baby from changing table.  Place diaper and disposable changing pad in the diaper bin.  Disinfect changing pad with spray and wipe down with paper towel.  Remove and dispose of gloves after each use & clean hands with sanitizer.

Crib Safety  Always make sure that a baby who can pull to a sitting position is placed in a crib that is set on the lowest level.  Always place a baby in a crib on their back.  Never place a blanket or other soft object in a crib with a baby.

Sheets  All sheets that are clean should have a “clean” sign placed on the sheet.  Once a baby has been placed on a sheet (even just for a few minutes) turn the sign over to “used” and place on the sheet once the baby has been picked up.  It is okay for the same baby to use a crib sheet multiple times during the same visit.  After use, all sheets should be removed and given to the nursery captain.  Replace these cribs with clean sheets and place the “clean” sign back on top of each sheet.

Cleaning Toys, Baby Gear & Surfaces  All used toys must be cleaned.  Place used toys in the plastic bin labeled “dirty”.  Spray thoroughly with provided disinfectant spray.  Dry toys with paper towel & put clean toys away.  All hard surfaces on used baby gear must be cleaned (i.e. high chairs, bouncy seats, exersaucer, etc.).  If soft surfaces of baby gear become soiled, remove fabric (if possible) and notify nursery captain.  Please clean the table in the 2’s & 3’s nursery with disinfectant spray and dry with paper towel.